The mother of a 17-year-old girl killed when a huge tree toppled on to her mobile home as she slept said her family was "absolutely devastated".

Bethany Freeman, nicknamed Gia, as crushed when a 30ft (9m) tree fell down amid high winds in Lydens Lane in Hever, near Edenbridge, Kent.

Bethany Freeman, 17, was killed when a tree toppled on to her mobile home. Credit: Kent Police

In a statement issued through Kent Police, Ms Peirce said: "We are all absolutely devastated at the loss of my daughter. I would like to thank the emergency services for their tremendous efforts in attempting to save her."

She was among four people killed as a storm battered England and Wales, leaving a trail of destruction.

When the storms hit on Monday morning, drivers in one part of east London were forced to dodge a giant beach ball found rolling around a busy roundabout. A team from the council was sent out to deflate it.

The large beach ball was seen floating around Old Street roundabout on Monday morning Credit: Twitter/@Bern798

The 10 metre high ball was attached to a building nearby Credit: Twitter/@Bern798

A team from Islington Council was sent out to deflate the ball Credit: Twitter/@teamkaroshi

Rushing in before rush-hour, it tore across coast and countryside, suburbs and city streets, tearing down trees and taking lives.

The worst storm to hit southern Britain for years did its worst. Rail companies withdrew services for safety, but that's not how millions of fare-paying customers saw it. Cancellations prompted accusations of an over reaction.

Engineers have restored power to the majority of homes after stormy winds caused extensive damage to power lines.

The latest figures show there are currently 74,000 properties in the East and 13,000 in the South East still without power.

At its peak there were around 500,000 customers without power. UK Power Networks, the distributor, says it has five times the normal number of engineers on duty - some 750 compared to 150 on a usual day.